We split a beet and arugula salad w/fried goat cheese - yummy. Â I had lobster ravioli which was tasty; hubby had linguine with clam sauce, which was good. Â Not too expensive for location. Â Parked on the street. Â Had two cappuccinos and tiramisu, also very good. Â Service was great - it was a Monday night and not busy. Â I think it might be fun in the summer to sit on the patio.
Review Source:Decent food, pretty terrible service.
I was here for a New Year's Eve date.  The menu was a 4-course prix fixe  ($59/person).
To start, I had the peppers and sausage. Â Pretty good. Â My date had the crab cakes. Â I'm not a fish fan, but these were passable.
I followed that up with the house salad. Â It's salad. Â Nothing to write home about.
My next course was lobster ravioli. Â Again, not a fish fan, but it seemed the best option. Â I liked the sauce, and the lobster wasn't overwhelmingly fishy.
For the main course, I got a steak filet with mashed potatoes and a little penne. Â The potatoes were probably the highlight.
Our waiter never stood still as he buzzed our table. Â He'd ask us how we were doing as he was pivoting away from the table. Â It wasn't all that busy for a major holiday, so I don't understand his rush. Â (Social phobia, perhaps?)
Also, the wait between some of our courses was excruciating.
I'm cutting them some slack because of the holiday, but the food isn't worth going out of your way. Â It's a passable Italian joint if you're in the neighborhood.
So I live across the street from this place and want to see it do well, but I have to give my honest review of the place. If you are looking for good Italian food with decent service this is not the place. If you are looking for a cool patio to dine on in the summer months and don't really care about the food, this place will do the trick. The food is mediocre at best and the service is so so which is not a good combination. People, you can't have so so food and bad service, its just not a good combo. If these people could figure it out (which they won't), they would have a gold mine on their hands. Â As I mentioned above, the place still does well because they do have a beautiful patio for the warmer months and their drink selection is good.
I would suggest trying this place out in the summer months. Otherwise there is a MUCH better place (La Scarola) just down the street from here, where you will find food made with actual heart.
Came here with a few friends for drinks and dinner. Â The food came highly recommended, and this was everyone in my party's first time here.
Reasons for my 1 star review:
1. Our waiter kept pacing around our table, as we were the only ones in his section at the time. Â I get that he was bored, but maybe try pacing out of sight?
2. The main door was open for a significant portion of our time there until we kindly asked the hostess to close it (we were all in down coats at the table). Â She thanked us profusely, as her boss wouldn't let her shut it until a patron complained. Â The poor woman was freezing!
3. My friend's mussels were RANCID. Â They smelled like a horse (no joke). Â I'm sure this was just a fluke, as that was the dish that came so highly recommended, but could both the chef and waiter not smell the dish before serving? Â I sat across from my friend and the smell was putrid.
The bathrooms were clean, hence the +1 star, but I will not go back.
My husband and I live nearby and have eaten at Trattoria Isabella a couple times. Â It's ok, but not amazing. Â I like it for its patio and convenience, but would not go out of my way to eat there if I wasn't in the area.
The outdoor patio is great. Â Nicely decorated and large enough that it's not too crowded. Â
The food is good, standard Italian fare. Â The menu is pretty large with lots of combinations of pasta/sauce/meat. Â They don't try to serve trendy or modern food, but instead consistently deliver the type of food you would expect from a traditional Italian restaurant. Â
The service is a little iffy. Â Maybe it's just the patio, but we often had a hard time finding our server when we wanted something. Â The pacing is a little off. Â I think the waiters have been instructed not to take the entree orders until after the appetizer has been served, so the meal ends up a little drawn out. Â Personally I prefer to place my order sooner rather than later so that I can get rid of the menus from the table. Â
Overall, this place is good for standard Italian fare. Â I'm much more likely to go back in the summer when I can sit on the patio.
Good food, okay service, and its definitely a little pricey. Good atmosphere though, never really too busy when we've gone. Food is excellent! We went for restaurant week and had a pasta that was delicious! I came back later and they made the same dish for me even though its not on the menu. The outside area looks nice.
Review Source:My grandfather is an 85 year old Sicilian emigrant.
He would play old records (the ones that felt like they
were made of concrete) and tell stories. Funny stories.
Interesting stories. All while making sausages in the
kitchen as my grandmother would set out plates
of salami and hard cheese.
At their home, there was always food and it was always delicious.
He can get unruly at times, but he's honest about what
he says and doesn't take half-ass excuses.
That being said; I Â can't wait to bring my grandfather here
so he can walk into the kitchen and ask them what the
hell they think they're doing.
Just because you have a great patio doesn't make it okay
to butcher things like red sauce, or a meatball. This is
the only place I've ever not been able to finish a meatball.
I left it, setting there. Sad. Alone. Abandoned. That poor
thing never had a chance.
Calamari: spongey.
Pasta: tasted like something I made in college when I was stoned out of my head.
Red Sauce: The table's vote - canned.
Fish Special: Bland and under-seasoned.
Let's hope, for their sake, Orlando doesn't make it  to Chicago.
And if he does, stays far away from Trattoria Isabella.
I really wanted to love this place. Â I really really did. Â On that note.... here we go.
We had a table of 5 for my boss's birthday. We started off with the bruschetta...and so it begins. Â While it was presented beautifully there was an unmistakable, undeniable hair at the bottom of the plate postitioned directly under some peppers and olive oil. Â Did we point this out to waiter? Yes. Did he apologize? Of course. Â Did he take it off of our bill? Not a chance. Â Strike 1
Our order: 2 of us had the whitefish special, 1 the ravioli, I had the spaghetti bolognese, and my boss had the spaghetti with meatballs. Â None of us were thrilled about anything we ordered. Â My boss made a comment that his meatballs were dry. Strike 2
Not saying we are a bunch of alcoholics but when it's a special occassion like a birthday, we like to get after it. Â My boss asked for a third glass of red to enjoy during his main course but he never got it.....Strike 3
I ordered the Peach dessert which was supposed to come served IN a peach. Â What I got?? Â A mango instead.... Strike 4 (if that's even possible)
I hate being a Debbie Downer about a place but this was just one thing after another and there is no way around it. Â There are plenty of fabulous places in the loop if you are looking to go somewhere for a nice work lunch. Â Just not here. Â Trattoria Isabella-You're OUT.
Great outdoor patio and the place has parking. Â It's a start. Â
Great food, drink and company. Â It's a finish.
Been here twice in as many weeks and have nothing but positive things to say. Â The Grilled Salmon Salad and Mussels were perfect, and so was the congenial service we received. Â
[x] y3s po4 favor
I went here for an early dinner with a friend because we needed something to eat before going out, and it's right down my block. I didn't have high hopes for amazing Italian because of previous reviews, but I had a great time! Maybe because we were there early, we had great service--the waitress was very attentive. The food was just what we were looking for, and the restaurant had a quaint and casual vibe. Now that it's summertime, their patio is always packed--I would come here again not just for the convenience, but it seems like a cute place to hang out as well.
Review Source:We've been here twice now, and the second time has convinced us to skip most of the food and just enjoy some apps and the great patio.
The pizzas are pretty good, although just one step away from totally authentic Neapolitan.
The Scallop and Shrimp appetizer was bland and lacked salt.
The Anitpasti is a good portion
The Fried Calamari is average.
The only recommendation I can give for this place is truly for the patio space and some wine.
Trattoria Isabella is a good place in the West Loop for alfresco dining.
The waitstaff are friendly and have always brought a high-chair for our one-year-old right away, complete with lots of smiles for the baby.
The menu is better than the Olive Garden variety, but not up to the standards of Piccolo Sogno or Macello, which are both located in the same general neighborhood.
The thin crust pizza is over-cheesed and lacks soul, which could be said for most of the pasta dishes as well.
Although the waitstaff is friendly, they seem to bounce back and forth between inside and outside, which can leave you waiting to get someone's attention. Â If Isabella is on your way after work I'd recommend it for a glass of wine and an appetizer. Â I would not make reservations for date night hoping to have your socks knocked-off.
I went here for dinner on a warm Friday night at 7:30. Â We were able to get a table for 2 without reservations and we didn't have to wait. I think the Near West side location keeps this place off the beaten path so it's pretty accessible. Â I came here primarily for their outdoor patio which I had walked by a few months ago and immediately bookmarked it for when the weather was right. Â Great outdoor seating area, quite large and has plants and lights strung. Â
The service was a little slow as other fellow reviewers have noted but we weren't in any rush and enjoyed a leisurely meal with a bottle of wine. Â We stayed at our table the whole night and were not rushed off, there wasn't a line waiting for a table so we hung out after checking with our waiter that there wasn't a wait. Â
We shared the calamari appetizer (decent) and I had the lobster ravioli which was pretty great. Â Their dessert menu didn't have anything enticing so we just had another glass of wine instead. Â
All in all pretty solid restaurant, nothing to RAVE about but a good pick for meeting up with someone downtown when the weather is beautiful!
Everything about Trattoria Isabella makes it a classic, fine dining Italian Restaurant. Â From the the tucked away location in the West Loop/Fulton River District to the large outdoor terrace to the decor inside to the waitstaff to the classic Italian dishes. Â
Trattoria Isabella is a great place for either lunch or dinner with family, friends, or your significant other. Â During the summer, the outdoor terrace is also a great spot to get a drink after work.
The wine selection is huge and the food menu offers numerous classic Italian dishes (goes beyond Eggplant Parm, spaghetti meatballs, etc).
My only complaint? Â The grilled calamari was average and they should take a page from Vera down a few blocks which in my opinion, has the best grilled calamari in the city.
A couple of buds and I randomly stopped in here one unseasonably warm March evening the night before St. Patrick's day. Their outside dining space looked so appealing I didn't even check Yelp! I know, blasphemous!
I had a mushroom pizza for $13 that was much better than I expected. Incredibly cheesy and covered with mushrooms.
My friend had the sea bass special, and even at $35 he loved it.
Awesome patio, service, and pretty good food. Four stars!
A hidden gem in the Fulton River District. Â We've dined here several times and have always enjoyed ourselves. Â The atmosphere is casual and the food is always delicious. Â They have a pretty extensive menu and always have a variety of specials so it's a fun place to go because I can try something new every time and never get bored. Â
I have to admit that I have never actually dined inside this restaurant. Â They have this great outdoor patio with a bar and dining area in the warmer months and it's the perfect place for a summer date night.
In the  midst of the great restaurant options in the West Loop, I'd forgotten about Isabella's -- and I'm glad that I remembered to stop in.
I made a special request for eggplant parmesan (not on the menu), and I was really pleased with the entree. Â The bartender was very friendly, and the regular patrons were fun to talk with during my meal. Â Also - the prices were reasonable. Â If you're in search of good italian food with a very mellow scene, this is your spot.
Admittedly, I go here more in the summer and have drinks at the bar on the outdoor patio but I have also had dinner here as well and this is really a very good place tucked away in the West Loop.
The staff and owner are always way friendly and the general feel of the place is comfortable and nice.
I'm gonna give it try now during the cold part of the year and I hope others do too so we all don't just go during the warmer temps.
Thumbs up to this little, hidden gem.
The staff at this restaurant are friendly and very helpful. Somehow there is a lack of coordination. After our party was seated, we ordered drinks. While we were waiting for our drinks, two more waiters came by our table to take our drink order. Not a big deal but usually a disappointing indicator of things to come.
One of us asked for a hot toddy. We were told that even though the barman worked at famous hotels' bars for years he'd never heard of the drink. Maybe. Even so, they could have looked up the drink on their copy of Professional Bartender's Handbook. Or they could have looked up the drink on their computer (yes they have at least one connected to the internet) or on a smartphone. C'mon now.
Bread was brought to the table. Stale and dry, and at room temperature, as if it was sliced hours ago. Is it that difficult to serve the bread warm?
Next disappointment: no homemade pasta except for the papardelle. Â This is a pet peeve of mine. No italian restaurant worth its olive oil uses dry pasta. If you can make dough for papardelle you can also cut it into spaghetti, tagliatelle, and just about anything else you want. If I can do that at home with my little Imperia roller, so can you Trattoria Isabella.
The antipasto plate we ordered for starters looked like a presliced plate you find at supermarket's deli counters. That was disappointing as well. With so many decent salumeria's in Chicago, there is no excuse for serving Wild Boar-quality antipasto. The roasted beet appetizer was ok. The beets were too thin for this kind of dish, I think.
The main entrees were unremarkable. The portions were decent. What the dishes lacked in flavor they compensated with the richness of butter or cream added in them.
Given the restaurant's location, it could be an awesome destination for city dwellers of the nearby high-rise buildings. It can also be a popular after-work destination. The staff is friendly and eager to help. But intentions alone will not cut it. Whether it's language barrier, lack of initiative, and lack of effort, these issues must be addressed or the restaurant will not do well.
4 guests, 3 appetizers, 4 entrees, 1 hot toddy, 1 bottle of zin ($14 retail, $50 after restaurant mark up), our total came to about $210.
As a West Looper I've been an occasional patron of Trattoria Isabella over the last few years. Normally I would rate the restaurant 3 stars but after my experience with them today, rating them more than 1 star would be far too generous.
It's a chilly day in Chicago and my husband and I wanted some soup for lunch. My husband picked up a couple of bowls of minestrone for a reasonable $5.00 each. Normally Trattoria Isabella's minestrone is a flavorful red broth full of vegetables. Today it was a thin clear vegetable broth with a couple of chunks of cauliflower and onion and literally ONE chunk of carrot and zucchini each. Also, the bowls were much smaller than they used to be, which normally I could deal with. But if you're going to give me something that could have come from a can, at least make it a respectable portion. It truly is beyond me that Trattoria Isabella would ever expect a customer to actually pay money for that soup. Ridiculous!
Normally I'm an easily pleased customer but today, Trattoria Isabella, you have actually managed to kind of piss me off.
I've only been here for brunch, so keep this in mind when reading my review. Â I came here with my roommate to experience the lovely patio they have next to the restaurant. Â
If we were on Sesame Street, the letter of the day would be W: for waiting. Â We waiting a while for our menus, waited for our orders to be taken, waited for our food, etc, etc. Â We had to flag down the waitstaff repeatedly (they all stand skillfully hidden in the shadows to avoid attention) to remind them we ordered coffee. Â We finally get our coffee seconds before our food (want to guess if we got a refill?).
I wouldn't mind waiting or even having to flag people down to remind them of my order if a place is busy, but we were one of 3 tables dinning. Â I would also be willing to over look a lot if the food was good, but it was also very sad. Â The food was lukewarm and all kind of tasted the same. Â I got the crab cakes and my roommate got a frittata: two things that should NOT taste the same.
The service in itself or the food in itself don't really deserve a 1-star rating, but together it made me regret spending my money on such a place. Â It may be this place just doesn't bring its A-game for brunch, but I probably wont be back to find out.
After a 15 hour drive to Chicago, my "Welcome to the Neighborhood" dinner had to be something both laid-back and comforting.
We were completely ravenous after a day where coffee was our only nourishment. Â Perhaps this is why the warm, crispy basket of bread, brought out with garlic-infused olive oil, seemed so amazing.
For wine, we ordered Terrabianca Campaccio Super Tuscan that at one point in time, we had at home on the wine rack. Â The mark-up at the restaurant was a bit steep, as to be expected, but it fit the bill for our heavy dinner.
We decided to share two appetizers, the grilled octopus and a gnocchi pasta special. Â We received an entree-sized portion of octopus for around $9. Â My tastes are forever biased after living in one of the octopus capitols of the world, but I did find the texture of the octopus at Trattoria Isabella to be tough and chewy in spots.
The gnocchi was a delightful surprise! Â These little potato pillows were just a tiny bit firm (mushy gnocchi? - no thanks!) and were cooked in a plum tomato sauce of the perfect acidity.
For the main course, I ordered whitefish, which came with assorted vegetables. Â The fish was lightly prepared in a lemon butter sauce, topped with diced shrimp, and the portion was large enough to have leftovers for the following day. Â It was a solid and simple dinner; comfort food is generally not meant to overwhelm the senses.
I also snagged a taste (and some leftovers) of bucatini in a meat-based tomato sauce. Â (Bucatini looks like spaghetti, except the center is hollowed out.) Â We asked whether the pastas are fresh and made on-site. Â Unfortunately, they are not which is surprising for a "traditional" Italian restaurant. Â This was also a hearty, comforting dish prepared in an excellent sauce.
For dessert, we shared the "famous" tiramisu. Â It broke my heart to consider this tiramisu. Â A sad, pathetic slice of sponge cake was topped with whipped cream that faintly tasted of coffee. Â Where was the marscapone? Â And the coffee-soaked savoiardi? Â Accept no imitations!
3.5 stars - I'll definitely be back to Trattoria Isabella but I will also be on the lookout for venues to feast on homemade pasta.
We came July 4th which may have explained the slowness (since I'm assuming they were seriously short-staffed)... but after a while it just got ridiculous. Â We literally had to beg our waitress to bring some bread, although I can't necessarily blame her for that since she was literally running between tables. Â
I got the Rigatoni al Filo di Fumo, which was basically rigatoni and pasta sauce - not bad, but not exactly what I was expecting based off of the menu description: "pancetta, mozzarella, fresh basil, marinara sauce". Â
Also, it's not the best neighborhood for people-watching, but they do have a nice sized patio to sit out on.
They say first impressions are the most important and although I wasn't super impressed, it was just good enough for me to be open to giving it another try.
Frankly, I do not know how this place remains in business with so many other top notch and well celebrated restaurants at a stone's throw from this place.
The food at Trattoria Isabella is mediocre at best and nothing to rave about. The marinara sauce that came with the pasta and pancetta was so sour that it was quite difficult to enjoy. Their fried calamari is just adequate but forgettable.
I think the saving grace for this place is their outdoor patio. The patio is probably the only reason they remain in business. In the summer, their patio is always packed but once you peek into the dining room, it's empty. Last summer on a weekend, my husband and I ate at the dining room as it was a little too hot for comfort sitting outside. We were the only ones in the dining room while the patio was bustling. It was strange. During winter, we don't see many people inside the dining room either whenever we walk by it. My theory is that they depend on the summer profits from the patio to compensate for the lack of business at the dining room when it's not summer. And really, I think people are there in the summer just to hang out at the patio since their food is lacking in goodness.
We live in the area but we don't seek out this place when we are going out for Italian food.
The atmosphere was nice, we sat next to the brick oven and watched them make pizza.
The food was blah. I got chicken stuffed with spinach, cheese, sun dried tomatoes and spinach. The sun dried tomatoes were in a huge clump, and a mouthful of sun dried tomatoes is not appetizing. The asparagus on the side was soggy and not so good either. I probably will not be returning.
We went there as a party of 7 for lunch. The bread was stale, obviouly yesterdays. They had no katchup for the fries. The ceasar dressing was tastless and appeared to be mayo thinned with milk. We went there for the wood fired pizza, but they no longer serve pizza at lunch. I didn't see it on the dinner menu either. Â
Needless to say, we were disappointed. eras
I love the outdoor patio at Isabella, but am continually disappointed with the food and the service. Â Come here for drinks and fresh air, but go somewhere else for dinner. Â
The last time I was here -- a few weeks ago -- they seemed to have run out of most ingredients. Â Unbelievable. Â They had no melon (for prosciutto + melon), no fresh mozzarella (for caprese salad), no mussels, and the daily specials were no longer being offered because they had run out. Â Considering that Jewel is just down the street (and we were there in the late afternoon, before the dinner rush), I find this to be completely unacceptable. Â You can't run a successful Italian restaurant in this city without basics like fresh mozzarella. Â When confronted, the server and manager just shrugged and walked away. Â Thanks. Â Very disappointing to say the least. Â :(
When I saw that the Zagat review for this place gave it a 26 out of 30 (which is very high), but Yelpers largely don't like it, I was somewhat shocked. Well, Yelp was right: this place is crap.
Everything is overpriced and underflavored. The pasta is clearly frozen, the sauce comes from jars, and the sausage is the low-grade crap you get from Domino's pizza. Save your money. You can make better stuff at home.
A few girlfriends and I came to this wonderful Italian restaurant on a Friday night for a birthday celebration and had a blast! The party was set up in the bar and guests were served several tasty dishes including roasted peppers, mostaccioli, rigatoni and bruschetta. The pear martini was so good I had to have four of them.
Rat Pack music blared in the background until about 11:30 then it switched over to club music--and that's when the real party started. We got our groove all the way on and Paolo, the owner, even came over and two-stepped with us. I plan to come back for a sit-down dinner. Fun, fun, fun!
I don't know if I've been picking bad restaurants lately or if people in Chicago are just simply not going out to eat any more because lately the places I've been going out to dinner to have been pretty dead. Â Such was the case on a Friday night at 7 p.m. at Isabella.
We walked in through the bar entrance and found 3-4 people at the bar and perhaps three tables occupied in the bar area. Â We opted to sit in the dining room because the bar had a guy on a Casio blaring tunes. Â
When we got to the dining room we saw one table occupied. Â I started to hope this wasn't a harbinger, as it was at one particular Italian-French place on West Randolph that ended up being a disaster.
I ordered the rigatoni with vodka sauce. Â She had the cheese tortellini with some chicken added. Â We also had the bruschetta for an appetizer. Â The bruschetta was alright and a steal at $5. Â She liked her tortellini. Â I tasted it but only thought it was okay, as it was a bit bland. Â As to my rigatoni with vodka sauce, Â I was pretty disappointed. Â I've had vodka sauce quite a few times at Italian restaurants and cook up pasta myself at home with vodka sauce. Â This wasn't a vodka sauce. Â It was an arrabiata sauce, of which I'm generally not a fan. Â It was spicy and not creamy whatsoever. Â I ate it, but I was disappointed.
Service here is a team effort and was generally good, but they really dropped the ball badly but not having any parmesan cheese for the olive oil and bread or my pasta. Â That is a major faux pas in an Italian restaurant.
By the time we left at around 8 p.m., there were 6-7 tables occupied in the dining room, making it approximately one-quarter full. Â I don't know if that's due to the economic times we are in, the quality of the food or a combination of both. Â
There are too many places that I think are better than Isabella for me to return here. Â Tuscany, Rosebud and Orso's and three places that immediately come to mind that are much better. Â
I tried, Izzy. Â Two stars.
I was looking for a neighborhood trattoria with some great wine and some good Italian food to soak it up. What I got was a bit of a puzzle for while Trattoria Isabella welcomed me with open arms ( a very friendly manager/owner greeted us and asked for our return business upon our departure), the food and service in the dining room, did not live up to my expectations.
First the positives. I liked the bar. The bartender quickly poured me the perfect drink and the patrons were friendly as I waited for my friend to arrive. The music was a bit funny (all Bee Gees all the time) and played at a high volume that they finally turned down when they realized it was playing at the same volume in the dining room as well.
In the corner of the bar area was the wood burning oven making the room warm and toasty. Â I probably should have gone with the wood fired pizza as it looked terrific coming out of the oven and the melted cheese smelled amazing.
But on this blustery night- warm, filling comfort food was needed so I knew I was going to be having pasta.
First up- for my appetizer I went with the grilled calamari salad. While there was plenty of calamari on the plate- it had such a charred after taste it was not good. And my friend's minestrone soup came up cold and it needed to be sent back.
The highlight of the dinner was my bow tie pasta with chicken, peas and mushrooms in a creamy red sauce. Quite tasty and a huge portion (there will definitely be leftovers for later). Unfortunately, my friend's whitefish was not as good and came drowning in the sauce.
Service was just okay but not overly attentive. We could not get the servers attention to take the soup back to heat it up. We finally had to flag down a busser to get the server- here again- a good server is usually more aware of what people are doing in their section, and not eating their food, should be a clue to a problem.
Dinner for two with no drinks and no dessert ran about $67 before tip.
With so many great Italian restaurants in the Chicago area- I doubt I will be back unless it is too have a drink in the bar. Too bad- as there are not alot of places in this neighborhood within walking distance of my friend's place for Italian food. Darn! And I had such high hopes.
Excellent outdoor setting. Â No other reason to go.
On a warm summer Saturday afternoon four of us decided to find an outdoor setting for margaritas, one with parking nearby since we were already in the car. Â Trattoria Isabella was suggested, and it worked out just fine. Â Once we convinced someone to serve us.
Apparently afternoon visitors who want a table but don't want dinner are unwelcome. Â The outdoor bar had half a dozen patrons, all ladies enjoying their illegal cigarette smoking. Â So that option wasn't too appealing. Â We were seated at a table near the bar, amidst a sea of empty tables. Â Only one other table was occupied. Â We then watched the debate down at the end of the bar about who would get stuck waiting on us. Â While four waiters argued they sent over a busboy to remove our napkins and silverware. Â Finally one waiter did come over. Â We ordered margaritas and settled back to enjoy each other's company.
The sun was hot and it all worked out fine. Â We ended up ordering bruschetta, and then some calamari. Â Both were really good. Â Now the waiter was our friend. Â And yes, they did bring back the napkins and silverware. Â But without sunshine and free parking, you won't see me there again.
I visited this place as part of a large group, which let the restaurant know we were coming (probably about 25 people?). I don't know if they were completely frazzled or what. But the service was terrible. Not like "I'm overwhelmed...I forgot to place your order" terrible, but "I refuse to let you all pay with credit cards--so figure it out amongst yourselves" terrible.
Seriously...I would say 3/4 of us would have had more than one glass of wine. 1/2 of us would have gotten dinner. Instead, most of us cut after one drink because you refused to accommodate us. We got some song and dance about how their credit card server would fry if they charged that many cards. The way I see it...we could have all been there separately, and charged our food and drink. You would never tell 25 individuals they couldn't pay with cards.
Bright side: the food we did all split was pretty good. Nothing spectacular, but decent. The outdoor eating area is awesome. I wish the service didn't suck, because otherwise I would go back.
I REALLY want to like Isabella, it is so convenient and they have an awesome outdoor patio, but I always leave feeling disappointed. Turns out, the outdoor seating is the only decent thing about this place. Here are my problems with Isabella:
1. Too expensive
2. Unoriginal Menu (mostly pasta, sauce, and cheese)
3. Frozen tortellini
4. Understaffed
5. No daily wine/food specials or coupons
6. Bring out the wrong food and still try to charge you for it
7. SLOW Service (slowest I have seen Chicago, see #4)
8. Everything on their menu I can make at home for less than $4
9. I would rather go to La Scarola and Rose Angelis are both cheaper and MUCH better.
10. Lady friend of the chef or owner was throwing up in the bathroom in the stall next to me..... Can't say I blame her, I felt the same way after paying $80 for two bowls of pasta and a bottle of wine on a Tuesday night.
If your Sicilian Grandmother used put plates of pasta in front of you while reciting, "Manga, Manga--- eat you are too skinny!" when you were struggling into a size 14 jean, well... you may be slightly disappointed.
If you just like some Italian food, you will most likely be happy.
The staff is great and the outdoor patio wonderful. I went for four stars since this neighborhood needed this place desperately, it is a nice calm place- you don't have to scream over music or other people and it is comfortable.
Here is the breakdown:
* Wait staff: Great and attentive
* Drink Full bar, decent wine list
* Menu:Italian
* Parking: Walk if you can. It is a block off the Clinton Green/Pink Line stop and there is metered parking around if you have to drive.
* Dress: Casual
Great addition to the neighborhood! Â I finally got around to dining here last night although I've been meaning to for awhile now since it's right around the corner from me. Â My sister and I came in around 6:30ish... there were only a few other tables there at the time, but when we left they were really filling up. Â We started with the calamari (fried of course - but for the more health concious, they also offer grilled ) and it was really good. Â The marinara had a nice kick to it. Â Then we split a couple entrees - the gnocchi w/ vodka sauce and the chicken stuffed w/ goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and spinach. Â Both were really great, but since the chicken was also in a vodka sauce, I wish we would've gotten the gnocchi in pesto instead. Â Guess I'll try that next time.
The prices here are pretty moderate... like between $12-$16 for most dishes. Â The place is also decorated really well - looks pretty upscale. Â Also they're still in the process of finishing their patio, which includes a full bar and looks like it will be awesome this summer! Â
Finally, I just have to address the comment below by Rose regarding the "third world staff". Â Uhh, seriously?? Â Please keep your ignorant self out of my neighborhood, thanks. Â I personally found the staff to be nothing but delightful.
I'm so happy this place opened. Â It's brand new and in my neighborhood and I couldn't be happier. Â My boyfriend loves Italian food and we've yet to find a place that we both enjoy. Â Yes, I realize that sounds strange but all the places we've been too we've been with other people and so this is our spot. Â
Well today was the first night they were opened. Â I wasn't expecting much because I've opened several restaurants when I was in college and I know how stressful the first night/week can be. Â The only issue we had was it took a bit longer then we would have liked to get our main dish. Â The manager apologized and bought us dessert. Â The decor is pleasant and inviting. Â The busboys were great and the staff in general was very quick and friendly.
Now to the food.  I was pleased looking around at all the dishes at the tables near us.  All the portions are  huge and it appeared that either everyone finished theirs or they took it home to eat it later.
To start with we got a Caesar salad. Â I'm a big fan of Caesar salads and this was quite good. Â Not the best, but it was very tasty and I will definitely be ordering it again. Â For dinner I had the farfelle with chicken in a vodka sauce. Â It was great. Â Because it was so huge I had to take it home and I can't wait to eat it for lunch tomorrow. Â My boyfriend had this chicken thing with goat cheese, spinach and peppers. Â He loved it. Â I was afraid he was going to lick the plate when he was done. Â For dessert we tried the pane cotta. Â It was very tasty. Â
I can't wait to go back, this place will definitely be a great addition to the Fulton Market District.
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